


Love and Suits and Snow

by southsidesister



Category: Gilmore Girls, Suits (US TV)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:47:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24697813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southsidesister/pseuds/southsidesister
Summary: On the way to spend a weekend with her parents in Connecticut, Donna and Harvey get stranded in Stars Hollow where they encounter a grumpy diner owner and his chatty wife. Co-written with Nina (saci)!
Relationships: Donna Paulsen/Harvey Specter, Luke Danes/Lorelai Gilmore
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

···

**Love and Suits and Snow**

_Chapter 1_

°•.•°

Donna glanced at the person behind the wheel as he skillfully maneuvered them along the icy Connecticut roads. With his hair a little tussled from the many times he'd tensely run his fingers through it and his square jaw darkened by a five o'clock shadow, he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen.

And he was hers.

Butterflies fluttered in her belly. Only three months into her relationship with Harvey and Donna felt like a teenager in love. Acted like one, too. Sneaking kisses when nobody was watching, stolen touches under the table and her hormones were once again raging. Combine that with thirteen lost years to make up for and a biological clock ticking away like a time bomb, they hardly made it out of the house.

Unable to keep from gawking, she let her gaze linger until his tired eyes eventually found hers.

"What?" he grumbled, his face softening as she smiled.

"Nothing," she said, her lips curving upwards for no other reason than the bliss coursing through her veins and she sat back, staring at the windshield wipers angrily fighting the elements.

Manhattan, although cold, had not seen a single snowflake this week, but as they had traveled northeast, the drops of rain had slowly turned to a flurry of ice until the roads had become covered in a thin layer of white and traffic had slowed to a crawl when an accident up ahead had diverted them off the main road.

Bumper to bumper on a poorly lit by-way wasn't exactly how she had planned to spend her Friday night, but thankfully the Tesla had heated seats and every comfort one could need on a two-hour drive, gliding across the highway as if nothing could faze it.

Beside her, Harvey cursed. "We could have been there by now."

Exhaustion washed over his features and she reached for his hand in a soothing effort. "I know."

He took her offering, and when his eyes met hers, she saw the love driving the sacrifice he was making. So, she brought his palm to her lips and kissed the back softly. "Thank you for doing this."

"Anything for you," he said, glancing her way. "Although I do wish this traffic would start moving."

"I'll text my mom that we're running late."

"If I had known the weather was gonna be this bad, I would've—"

"Harvey. It's not your fault. I'll just tell her not to wait up. I know where they keep the spare key. It'll be fine. We have all weekend to spend with them."

Harvey squeezed her hand, shooting her a soft smile and her heart skipped a beat.

Now that they were officially a couple, her parents had invited them over for the weekend. And although Harvey and her dad had some issues to address, Jim Paulsen had seemed genuinely excited to meet Harvey as her boyfriend and not just her boss. The initial invite had been extended weeks ago, but the sudden passing of Harvey's mom right after the holidays and their work schedules allowing for little time off, the trip to Connecticut had gotten postponed more than once.

But now they were finally on their way.

A short while later, traffic gradually advanced, and soon enough they were making progress when a subtle beeping noise sounded from the dashboard.

Donna looked at Harvey, whose frown dipped down, and a gazillion alarm bells went off. "What is it?"

"It says battery power very low."

"How can that be? The thing was fully charged when we left," Donna stated, unable to contain the nervousness straining her voice.

"I know."

"The next exit is only a mile from here. We have to find a safe place to park."

Checking his mirrors, Harvey moved them onto the ramp, straight into a closed gas station, where only a single street lamp illuminated the otherwise deserted lot.

A new notification on the car's center screen showed the nearest charging station to be twenty-five miles away. The same screen also informed him the car didn't have enough battery power left to even make that.

"Shit. It says ten miles, but I don't trust this thing anymore."

A tinge of panic teased Donna's spine at the sudden change of events. She could rescue her way out of pretty much any situation, but cars were not her forte, and with a man beside her, she was happy to let him handle this one. But the sky was dark and dropping snow, and help would be miles away. "What do we do?"

"I don't know. Call AAA, I guess."

"That's gonna take forever in this weather."

"It's not like we have other options. At least we'll be warm for a while until the battery dies completely."

"That can be any minute. And we'll be covered in several inches of snow by then. And who knows what prowls around here at night. We can't stay in the car, Harvey."

"Then what do you suggest? Look outside. It's snowing."

"I know." Taking a deep breath, Donna needed a moment to think. What were their options? Waiting out here for God knows how long or perhaps see if there was a dealer or something close by. They had been passing through towns for the last twenty minutes. The next one was bound to be coming up. Checking her maps app, her screen showed her the nearest town was about a mile away. It was only nine-thirty. With some luck, they would find a bar or another warm place to safely wait until their car got towed.

"Come on, let's go," Donna said, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting ready to continue their journey on foot.

"Donna! We can't go out there!"

"We have to. Come on. Grab the umbrella. There's a diner twelve minutes from here. It's open 'til ten. We can call AAA from there, because I refuse to perish in the middle of nowhere because of a stupid car battery dying on us." She knew the time indication was pushing it, but telling him the hike was twice as long would only work against her, so she led by example—believing he either trusted her sufficiently to follow, or he was protective enough not to let her wander off by herself.

She didn't even wait for him, knowing instinctively he would, regardless of his reasoning and reservations.

Not a second had passed when she heard the driver side door close, and she smiled.

"What about our luggage?" he asked, pulling his collar to the wind as he geared up for the cold. Without a sound, the hood popped open and Harvey retrieved their only shield against the northeast winter.

"We can get it later." Donna linked her arm through his, cowering under the umbrella, and hoping the smile she wore was reassuring. "Come on."

"Just so you know, if I end up freezing to death, it's your fault."

"Well, at least we'll freeze together."

* * *

Scrubbing the countertops one final time, Luke Danes heaved a sigh. He was bone-tired. Seasonal traffic always carried more tourists to Connecticut— _the cosy small towns a delectable getaway this holiday season_ , according to the exposé in the New York Times about the 'Top 10 Things To Do This Winter'. If it hadn't been for Rory's column right next to piece, he never would have read the article, but his stepdaughter had brought the paper over last night and he couldn't have been more proud—having seen her grow into this lovely woman and now mother, with Rory having given birth last summer

Although he still struggled with the term 'grandfather', he had been in love with the baby girl from the moment he'd held her in his arms. Her full head of hair and ocean blue eyes were identical to her mom's, even resembling his own wife's piercing gaze and stunning looks, and he couldn't have been prouder.

Luke smiled to himself, thinking of little Lorelai the Fourth.

Filling the coffeemaker with freshly grounded beans ready to go in the morning, he slammed the thing back into its place when he heard the bells above the door jingle and he grumbled out of habit. Without looking up, he grunted, "We're closed."

He had no patience left to deal with whatever townsperson had decided it was time for a late-night snack. He had an early day tomorrow and was more than ready to go home.

"I'm sorry, we saw the light still on and… We need some help," a deep voice said, causing Luke to turn around. In his diner stood two people, covered in a thin sheet of snow, shivering. The man was big, with a spiked haircut that reminded him of Kirk; the woman a tall redhead, with a nose the color of her hair. Both sported a weary gaze. Luke cursed, not in the mood to be the good Samaritan, yet unable to kick these fancy dressed strangers out—not just because of karma, but also because Lorelai would never forgive him, which was far worse in his book.

"What can I do for you?" he muttered, trying not to sound irritated.

"Our car broke down a few miles back. We're looking for an auto shop or a dealer. Anything," the man said.

"It's 10 pm in Stars Hollow on a Friday night. You're not gonna find one here," he stated, and watched how the pair exchanged a nervous look.

From upstairs, Lorelai's voice sounded and increased in volume as she descended the stairs. "Luke, I need to get back to the inn or Michel will throw a hissy fit for being late again. Which is always fun to watch, but I need him to cover for me next week, so I have to stay in his good graces. Did you save me that piece of peach p–" Lorelai appeared from behind the curtain, coat on and purse in hand. "Oh, hi!" she said cheerily to the strangers before looking at her husband to see if she could figure out what was going on. However, something in the fleeting image of the two human popsicles standing in the diner forced her gaze back and her mouth dropped. "Donna Paulsen?"

"Ohmygod, Lorelai?" Donna squealed.

Lorelai launched herself through tables stacked with chairs where Donna joined her halfway where the pair embraced warmly, exchanging loud exclamations of their incredulity at the coincidence.

Luke glanced at Kirk Two and the man met his gaze briefly, wearing an identical look of wonder.

"Our car broke down," Donna exclaimed, helping Lorelai pull a few chairs down.

"Here, have a seat. Luke, make them some coffee. They're freezing," she said. "Are you guys hungry? I'm sure Luke can whip something up."

"No, we're fine," Donna replied. "We had dinner before we left, but coffee sounds great! This is Harvey," she added, watching him approach and hesitantly lower himself onto the chair beside her.

"It's nice to meet you, Harvey. This here is Luke," Lorelai said, taking her coat off and draping the garment over one of the barstools while getting some donuts from the counter. The others might not be hungry, but she certainly was.

"You two know each other?" Harvey asked.

"We do! We went to school together in Hartford," Donna explained. "Even though Lorelai was a few years ahead of me, we somehow became best friends after our family moved there, but then she got pregnant and dropped out, and we sort of lost touch." She turned her attention to Lorelai. "How old is your daughter? Gosh, she must be, what, thirty-something?"

"She is. Actually, she just had a baby of her own."

"Ah, that's so great. Congratulations," she said.

Donna couldn't believe her eyes. Lorelai Gilmore, as she lived and breathed, still sporting the infectious energy that had drawn the two girls together all those decades ago. The grumpy man behind the counter seemed uncomfortable at their intrusion, but judging by the ring on Lorelai's finger and his readiness to obey her swift commands, she deduced they were an item, and that easily made him okay in her book.

"So, what brings you to Connecticut?" Lorelai chirped.

"We were on our way to my parents who live about thirty miles from here now, but the battery of our car died out of nowhere, so we left it by a gas station, and we figured we needed a place to call AAA, and that's how we ended up here."

"You're not gonna get your car fixed tonight. Gypsy is out of town for the weekend and won't be back until Monday," Lorelai said almost apologetically.

Donna and Harvey shared a look. "We could give Ray a call," Harvey suggested.

"Who's Ray?" Luke asked, putting three cups of coffee on the table.

"He's my driver," Harvey explained.

"You have a driver? What do you do?" Luke hated hotshots and this guy was starting to check one too many boxes.

"I'm a lawyer."

"I see," Luke mumbled.

"Luke," Lorelai warned.

"What? I didn't say anything," Luke defended.

"You have something against lawyers?" Harvey asked incredulously, warming his hands on the drink in front of him. _So much for small-town friendliness_ , he thought.

"Luke hates lawyers," Lorelai explained. "It's nothing personal," she added while taking a bite out of her donut.

"Why do you hate lawyers?" Donna inquired, genuinely curious.

"I used to date one."

"He married her," Lorelai corrected with a mouthful, smirking at Luke.

"Lorelai," Luke growled. Why did she insist on sharing things with strangers? Ok, so apparently she knew the redhead, but still, they were strangers to him and had no business knowing his business.

"Actually, he was only running away from his feelings for me," Lorelai explained, sipping her coffee with a proud smile on her face, glancing lovingly at her obtuse husband.

Donna had to chuckle at that. "We've heard that before. This guy dated his therapist before he finally realized I was the one."

"Donna," Harvey warned, but Donna ignored him, sharing a knowing grin with Lorelai.

"Listen, if you guys need a place to stay, we have a room at the Dragonfly. The Goldfarbs got snowed in on the way here, so their room is available. It's already paid for and yours if you want it."

Harvey and Donna looked at each other and Donna faintly remembered seeing the name and its five-star rating when she checked out the area on her phone earlier.

"We can't call Ray," Donna asserted. "I think we should stay here."

Trusting her judgment, Harvey nodded, too tired to protest, or worse, come up with an alternative. However, they had abandoned their suitcases in that useless piece-of-shit car. If they could get those first, staying in Stars Hollow for the night might not be such a bad idea.

"We'd love to stay at the inn, Lorelai. Thank you," Donna said.

"Our luggage is still in the car," Harvey commented.

"No problem. Hun, why don't you and Harvey get their things, and I'll take Donna to the Dragonfly?" Lorelai half-ordered to a reluctant growl stemming from the blue, backwards baseball cap.

"Sure. You want that coffee to go?" Luke asked, to which Harvey eagerly replied, "Yes, that'd be great. Thanks."

As the men left, Donna and Lorelai finished their drinks.

"Boyfriend or husband?" Lorelai smirked.

"Boyfriend. Although it feels like we've been married for years."

"Been there," Lorelai laughed, noticing Donna's sheepish smile and flushed cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold. "So, what do you do?"

"I am the COO of the law firm. Harvey is a name partner."

"Oh wow, that's great. How long have you been working together?"

"A little over fourteen years. I was Harvey's secretary for about twelve years before I decided I needed something more."

"Have you been together all that time? Have you seen Secretary?" Lorelai's brain couldn't help but connect the two.

Donna laughed. "I have and no, it was nothing like that. It's quite a long story, actually."

"Well, you can tell me on the way. But first, I wanna know what happened to your acting career! Last time we talked you had just moved to New York."

* * *

An icy shudder ran down Harvey's back as the cold February air pierced him once more, and he dug his free hand deep into the pocket of his dark grey winter coat in an attempt to keep it warm, while the other clutched the rapidly cooling coffee.

The green pickup truck was parked right in front of the diner, and he watched as Luke walked around the vehicle and pulled open the door before climbing behind the wheel.

"You don't lock your cars here?" he asked surprised as he slid into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut with a loud thud. Unfortunately, the interior of the car wasn't much warmer than the outside, causing Harvey to rub his hands together, attempting to retain some warmth in his fingertips.

"This is Stars Hollow," Luke deadpanned as he pulled out of the parking spot. "The only thing being stolen around here is your will to live when you're forced to sit through a town meeting."

Knowing better than to ask any further questions, Harvey simply nodded and focused his gaze on the deserted streets of the town in front of them. "You need me to give you the directions?"

"There is only one way in from New York, I think I'll be fine," Luke huffed, and briefly glanced over at the man next to him who had emptied his hot drink and had had stuffed his hands back into his pockets—his shoulders stiff and his head sunk in between them. "There's no use turning the heating on. By the time the truck is warmed up, we'll be at the inn."

"I'm good."

A heavy silence settled between the two strangers and Luke felt a pang of guilt over his vehicle's lack of warmth, so he breached the distance—the conversation a veiled apology. "So, you guys were visiting her parents?"

Harvey looked at the man behind the wheel—his voice suddenly carrying a tad of sympathy and kindness it had been lacking until then. "Yeah," he sighed, at the thought of having to call Jim and Clara to tell them they weren't going to make it due to his defective car. Knowing Donna's father, he would probably accuse him of having planned the mishap all along. This weekend was supposed to gain him a bunch of future-son-in-law credit, not reinforce Jim's conviction that Harvey was a flake.

Luke nodded as he took a sharp left turn before accelerating the truck as they entered the highway. "So, is getting stranded a good or a bad thing, then?"

Harvey chuckled at the question and felt relieved to notice the tension between the two of them slowly eased up. "I've never been a meet-the-parents type of guy, but it's my first time visiting them since we've gotten together, and Donna was very excited about the trip."

"Was she?" Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Lorelai always tried to keep me as far away from her parents as physically possible."

"How come?"

"They aren't…weren't the most welcoming of people. I'm not quite the kind of guy they'd hoped their only daughter would end up with."

"Believe me, I know what you're talking about."

"I can't imagine any parent not wanting their offspring to marry some fancy lawyer."

The choice of words made Harvey snicker. "Let's just say, her dad and I didn't exactly get off on the right foot."

"I see. Lorelai's father once took me golfing under the guise of getting to know me better. Turns out his ulterior motive was to get me to turn the diner into a franchise and change me into a businessman in the process. To make me more suitable for her, I guess. I mean, even after he passed away, he left me a bunch of money so I could still execute that ridiculous idea."

"I take it you're neither a golfer nor a businessman?" The question leaving his lips was more rhetorical than anything else. Luke's appearance alone spoke volumes.

"Not really my thing, no. I'm more a beer and ballgame kind of guy."

The gas station came into their line of vision, and Luke nodded in its direction. "That it?"

"That's it."

The truck pulled up alongside the car, blanketed in a thick sheet of white, and Harvey got out, clearing away the inch of snow before opening the hood and reaching inside to retrieve two carry-on suitcases. The feeling of a pair of eyes boring into his back was hard to ignore, and although Harvey had only met the man an hour ago, he could already hear the judgment regarding his choice of vehicle without the diner owner even saying a word. And the way Luke peered at him when he resumed his position in the passenger's seat, only confirmed his suspicion.

"Don't say it," Harvey warned as he buckled up his seatbelt again.

"Ran out of battery?"

The grin that spread over Luke's face was amusedly smug and unlike any other expression Harvey had seen that night. It moved something inside of him, and for a split second he found himself thinking that the guy didn't seem so bad after all.

"Very funny, I'm not an idiot. The battery should've gotten us there and back to the city without a problem." Harvey rolled his eyes at the complacent look on the other man's face. "The thing just died prematurely. It must be faulty. These things happen."

"See, that's why I like to drive proper cars," he stated, reaching out to softly pat the dashboard of his trusty truck.

"Yeah, well, at least my car has working heating," Harvey shot back. And with that, they considered the dispute settled, and continued their journey to the inn in a much more comfortable silence than the one they started out with.

* * *

"Of all the places we could've stranded at, I can't believe fate picked the tiny town you're living in." The improbability of the situation was written all over Donna's face as she climbed into the passenger seat of Lorelai's Jeep and fastened her seatbelt.

"Plus, you chose my husband's diner to seek refuge." Lorelai pointed her finger at the redhead in mock accusation. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been stalking me and planned this all along."

"Of course." A heartfelt laugh escaped Donna's lips. "Because, obviously, 10 pm on a Friday night in the dead of winter is the perfect time to surprise someone I haven't seen or spoken to in over thirty years."

"You always did have an odd sense of humor."

Donna raised her eyebrows at the brunette in the driver's seat. "Actually, I'm pretty sure that was you. And still is, by the looks of it."

"Ha! I feel offended!" A shocked expression painted Lorelai's face, and she placed a flat palm on her chest in a feigned huff. "Hey, can you still do that mind-reading thing? Quick. Tell me what I'm thinking right now!"

Unable to suppress another giggle, Donna shook her head and sunk back into the soft vinyl seat as exhaustion took over her body. She couldn't shake the feeling of ease and familiarity that Lorelai's presence evoked in her. They hadn't seen each other in over three decades and obviously they had changed—grown into adults who had built a life the other one had not been a part of—and yet it felt like the foundation of what had connected them all those years ago was still there. A sense of comfort engulfed Donna, combined with a tinge of excitement over the unexpected possibility to be able to reconnect with such an old friend.

"I must say, Stars Hollow looks incredibly charming, even during night time. I can't wait to see it in the daylight tomorrow. How long have you lived here?"

"You picked a good weekend for it, too. We have our annual Firelight Festival this weekend. Rory and I moved here when she was just a baby. I needed to get away from the Gilmores, so I packed all our things, got myself a job as a maid at the Independence Inn. The potting shed behind it became home for the first few years. Once we had enough money, I bought a house in town and we've been here ever since."

Donna nodded as she listened, remembering the strained relationship Lorelai used to have with her parents. She had been too young to understand then, but hearing her story now—a teenager running away from home with a tiny baby to take care of—Donna finally recognized what a herculean task she had performed. But if anyone could have pulled that off, Lorelai Gilmore was definitely the one. "That's incredible and must have been so hard."

"It was in the beginning. But I had help. At the inn and then this town. So, we made it unscathed," she smiled proudly. "So, you were on your way to your parents? First time meeting their future-son-in-law?" Lorelai suggestively raised her eyebrows as she glanced over at Donna.

"Not exactly. They've met him before, but this is the first time they'll meet him as my boyfriend."

"Uh oh… That calls for trouble."

"Yes and no. My dad and Harvey have a…complicated relationship."

"Ha, I could fill books about the complicated relationship between Luke and my parents." The emphasis on 'relationship' didn't go unnoticed by Donna and was further accentuated by the quotation marks Lorelai gestured into the air. "My mother was actually responsible for Luke breaking up with me, a few months after we started dating. You know, in typical Emily Gilmore fashion. Utterly incapable of staying out of other people's business, thinking she knows what's best. She's always had a twisted sense of what she thinks is right for me."

"Oh, wow." Donna's face fell at Lorelai's words, unable to stop the wheels from turning and comparing her friend's situation to her own. "I was really hoping Harvey and my dad would use the weekend to get to know each other better and put their differences aside. But perhaps prolonging the inevitable isn't such a bad thing after all."

"Oh, prolong it. Maybe even until you get married. Or even better, elope and prevent them from meeting altogether. Although, I eloped with Rory's dad and that didn't end well, so maybe that's a bridge too far."

Another bellow escaped Donna's lips at Lorelai's choice of words and tune of voice, and she felt her heart bask in a warm bath of nostalgia—her mind flooded with childhood memories of them—once again assured in her impression that Lorelai hadn't changed all that much. Three decades on and she was still the same witty, kind-hearted person she had known and loved a lifetime ago.

Several minutes later, Lorelai pulled the Jeep into the inn's driveway, listening to Donna chronicling her history with Harvey.

"It took him another twelve years to finally figure out he wanted to be with me," Donna said as she exited the car, a new sensation thrilling her as she relayed intimate details of her past to Lorelai. There weren't many people in her life who'd known her _pre_ Harvey and the few she had known before moving to his desk, had met him in the meantime. So, telling her story to someone who had no clue brought a fresh layer of excitement to the tale.

"But you knew you wanted to be with him all those years?" Lorelai was shocked. Pining for a person for eight years was already pretty ridiculous, twelve just seemed plain crazy.

"Yes and no. I wanted to be with him, but he wasn't ready. And maybe I wasn't, either. And I dated, but none of my relationships ever worked out. Because it was always him, you know?"

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, I know."

As Donna stepped onto the front porch of the old building with the lights framing the railing and the fireplace visible through the window, she fell in love with the picturesque inn on the spot.

"Thirteen years." Lorelai moaned in disbelief. "Well, then you got us beat. It took Luke only eight to figure out he wanted to be with me."

"What is it with men and not knowing what they want?" Donna asked, exasperated.

"Beats me. But we've been together for about a decade and a half, if you don't count the year we were separated. And we finally tied the knot just over a year ago."

"That's amazing! So, this place, you work here?" she inquired as they walked inside and immediately a blanketing warmth engulfed them.

"I own it," Lorelai smiled in a proud yet humble way, and Donna's heart swelled with delight as she watched her saunter over to the front desk.

"Michel, this is Donna Paulsen. She'll be staying in the Goldfarb's room with her boyfriend, who should be here soon. Can you get her checked in?"

"Of course, I can, even zough you were supposed to take over my sheeft ten meenutes ago. But I'll gladly stay longair to check your friend een, so you can stand by and watch me do eet," Michel drawled sarcastically, his accent heavier than usual every time he was tired.

"Excellent! Thanks, Michel." Lorelai turned to Donna. "You want some tea or coffee?"

"Tea would be great. Thanks, Lorelai."

A few minutes later, room key in her pocket, Donna sat near the fireplace in the dining room, a fragrant cup of chai warming her hands. "This place is lovely, Lorelai."

"Thank you. I started this business with my best friend, but she's off doing her own thing now. She still drops by occasionally, but it hasn't been the same without her here."

"Hmm, I know what that's like," Donna hummed in response.

"Last year, we added a spa. It was the first major change I didn't get to discuss with her. And it feels…less complete, somehow." A mournful smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "Let me know if you want to get a facial or something, and I can book you an appointment for tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lorelai. But I don't think that will be necessary. We'll probably get back on the road first thing."

The front door flew open, allowing a bitter wind to battle the warmth inside as Luke and Harvey marched in, two small suitcases in tow.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Harvey let go of the luggage and blew hot air into his hands.

"Harvey, you're freezing," Donna noted, forgoing her drink, and meeting the men in the entryway.

"No heat in the truck," he uttered through rattling teeth.

"We need to get you warmed up."

"I need a hot shower. And a bed," he grunted, the chill coming off him not just nature's doing, but his overall desire to let this hellish week end by curling up next to his woman. Alone.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room," Lorelai said, and proceeded to lead the way, while Luke waited downstairs, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

The door to room seven opened with a creak and Lorelai made a mental note to have those hinges oiled up. "There are fresh towels in the bathroom, the minibar is filled up, and breakfast starts at seven-thirty tomorrow morning. But if you wanna sleep in, I'm sure we can arrange something. The perks of knowing the proprietor," she added with a wink and caught Harvey's surprised gaze. "I'll be around for another hour or so, waiting for the night manager, so if you need anything, just call down. Other than that, I think you guys should be all set." Lorelai smiled affectionately at the couple taking in the decor and scribbled her phone number down on the notepad left by the side of the bed.

Donna's eyes travelled around the carefully picked out interior—the floral wallpaper and the matching curtains, the antique clock that hung on the wall—before they landed on Harvey, and she had to fight back a smile at the way he was examining his surroundings. The wood paneling and the botanic patterns weren't exactly his style—she knew that much—but he hid his disapproval well.

"Thanks Lorelai, this place really is lovely." The bed dipped gently underneath Donna's weight as she plopped down on top of it, feeling more than ready to sink back into the cushions and sleep off the exhaustion the day had brought.

"You guys must be tired, so I'll leave you to it. Maybe I'll see you in the morning. Just don't take off without saying goodbye, okay? And you," she lifted her finger and pointed at the still shivering lawyer, "should go and take a hot shower. My husband's stubborn refusal to get the heating of his car fixed shouldn't be the cause of you getting sick. I can bring you some more tea if you like?"

Donna smiled up at Harvey and reached out, taking one of his frosty hands between both of hers and brushed his skin softly. "Don't worry. I'll warm him up."

Harvey gazed at his redhead uncomfortably. "I'll be fine." Then a polite smile teased his lips as he glanced at Lorelai. "Thanks again."

The door clicked shut behind Lorelai's retreating form, and her footsteps grew fainter in the distance, leaving Donna and Harvey alone in their cozy suite.

"Lorelai is right, you should go take a shower. You're still freezing." Donna tugged at his hand as she pulled herself up and placed her palms on both his forearms, turning and steering him in the direction of the bathroom. "I'll unpack a few things." She pressed a soft kiss to the back of his shoulder before he obliged and disappeared into the adjoining room.

When Harvey emerged a little while later, his color had returned, although the tiredness in his eyes had doubled.

Leafing through one of the tourist brochures she had found on the dresser, Donna was already relaxing under the covers. A soft smile tugged at her lips as Harvey crawled into bed beside her, shrugging underneath the duvet before huddling as close to her as possible and she delightedly inhaled his scent engulfing her.

The brochure closed with a rustle and Donna placed it on the bedside table before turning in Harvey's arms to face him. "My mom just texted. Looks like she and my dad are coming down with a cold, and since we already lost tonight, she asked if we wouldn't mind rescheduling."

"So, we go home tomorrow?" His voice was quiet and laced with sleepiness; his eyelids growing increasingly heavy as he waited for her answer.

"We could…" Weighing her next words, Donna traced his chin gently with the tip of her finger. "Or, I was thinking, maybe we could stay here for the weekend."

"Hmm, that'd be nice," Harvey responded with a nod of his own, his eyes closed and his face softly snuggling into her shoulder.

"Is this the fatigue speaking or are you actually up for it?" She pulled back slightly to gauge his features.

"No, I'm serious." Forcing his eyes open, he caught her gaze. "If you want to stay, we can."

"I'd really like to." A tentative smile graced her lips, excitement bubbling underneath the surface at the prospect of getting to spend a weekend away with Harvey while simultaneously reconnecting with her oldest friend.

"Then we'll stay." Harvey bridged the short distance between their lips and placed a soft kiss on her mouth before pulling away, his curiosity suddenly seeming to win over his drowsiness. "So, Lorelai had a baby at sixteen? That's a lot."

"I know. At the time, I wasn't mature enough to deal with her being a new mom, dropping out of school and running away from home. Our friendship didn't survive it, unfortunately."

"She seems like a nice person. That Luke-guy, the other hand…"

A chuckle erupted in Donna's throat. "He's a bit grumpy, isn't he? But you haven't exactly been all that jolly yourself tonight, so I think we should wait and see what tomorrow brings."

"He can't be all bad, I mean, she married him, after all. Plus, he said he likes baseball."

"That's the spirit." Donna grinned and leaned closer to steal a kiss from him. "I'm really excited to explore Stars Hollow tomorrow. It looks like a beautiful town."

"It sure does." The soft sound of his voice was muffled by the way he buried his face into the satin fabric of the camisole clinging to her shoulder, and Donna knew better than to continue the conversation. They were both desperately craving some relief from their exhaustion and they were going to need all the energy they could muster to enjoy their first weekend away as a couple.

* * *

"Erm, Luke," Lorelai's voice echoed through the empty lobby of the inn as she climbed down the stairs. "Whatcha doing down there?"

"This…floorboard seems to be loose," Luke muttered from his crouched position just in front of the inn's main entrance, seemingly preoccupied by the task at hand. "It's a hazard. Someone could trip and fall and sue you for negligence while they're lying in a hospital bed with two broken legs."

"Oh, well, lucky for us we have a lawyer sleeping upstairs."

"This isn't funny, this thing is a death trap." His bewildered gaze found hers as she stepped closer, a smile playing on her lips as she shook her head at her husband.

"I know you take your handiwork very seriously, but it's a little too late to bring out the hammer, so let's deal with this tomorrow, shall we?"

Luke reluctantly accepted the outstretched hand offered to him.

A defeated sigh left his lips as he straightened out his legs and brushed the dust from his jeans. "The night manager just took over from Michel." He pointed over his shoulder at the new face tending to the front desk. "So, we're all good to go."

"Ah, see." A mischievous grin painted her lips as she shot the employee a quick wave. "That was my plan all along."

"So, did you say goodbye to your friend?"

"Not yet, I told her to give me a call before they leave tomorrow. It's a shame they can't stay longer."

"They don't strike me as the kind of people who would enjoy the small-town charm."

"Come on, Luke, you should really give them a chance. Donna lived outside Hartford, so she knows how wonderful small towns can be and she's really great. And I'm sure Harvey is, too, once you get to know him better. If anything, Donna is a pretty remarkable judge of character."

"Yeah, well, he drives a Tesla, so…" A hint of repugnance crossed over Luke's features, and he rolled his eyes at the sheer stupidity of someone buying a ridiculously overpriced car only to end up stranded during a two-hour drive. "So, you and Donna went to school together? I've never heard you mention her before."

"We did. She had this freaky ability to read people. I was having a particularly bad day one day. My mother had caught me alone in my room with Jimmy Halliwell the night before, she all but threw him out the window and had the maid remove the door to my room, but anyway, Donna took one look at me while we were standing in line at the cafeteria, and she told me she knew something was wrong and was able to cheer me up. I think, at the time, she was struggling to adapt to her new surroundings and being the new kid at school, but from that moment on we were pretty much joined at the hip." A smile tugged at the corner of Lorelai's lips as she recounted the happy memory. "We lost touch when I dropped out of school and only talked occasionally until she moved to New York a few years later. But by then I'd had Rory and my life was so different. We just grew apart."

"Well, I'm glad you ran into her tonight," Luke said, reaching out and giving her hand a soft squeeze as he returned her gentle smile. Witnessing her excitement over running into her long-lost friend filled him with happiness, too. "Maybe you can visit her in New York, sometime."

"Yeah." Lorelai nodded as she let the suggestion sink in, linking her fingers with his. "You're right, maybe we can."

Their shoulders bumped together when they squeezed through the front door, the crisp air hitting their faces as they stepped onto the porch. "I was hoping we could have breakfast with them tomorrow?" Lorelai gazed up at Luke through thick lashes, giving him her most convincing look.

"I run a diner. Breakfast is one of three moments that's kinda all hands on deck, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Ha! I know the perfect solution for that. We could have a post-breakfast breakfast at Luke's!" A slender finger pointed in Luke's direction as they separated to walk towards their respective cars.

"We'll see about that," he muttered underneath his breath, knowing better than to argue with his wife. Besides, he would indulge her willingly. He always did like to see her happy.


	2. Chapter 2

···

**Love and Suits and Snow**

_Chapter 2_

°•.•°

Donna awoke from the feeling of sandpaper scratching her shoulder as her consciousness slowly returned, expedited by the feel of Harvey's palm on her stomach, inching upward until he cupped a breast while he gently sucked on her pulse point in response to her awakening body.

She moaned happily which inadvertently coaxed him on, his arousal throbbing between them.

"Hmm, must say I'm glad your parents aren't sleeping down the hall," he breathed into her ear, running his stubble over her cheek.

"Oh, and why's that?" she teased as he pulled her hips backwards and bucked his groin into her buttocks.

"That's why," he grunted, biting into her earlobe before he climbed on top of her.

Even after several months together, Harvey still struggled with getting used to the idea he got to wake up next to his favorite person, his guiding light, his _everything_. So, every time he did, he made sure to relish in the moment. And given the chance, he also made sure she enjoyed his excitement, too.

"So what? Would have been too afraid to make love to me in my parent's house?"

"Hey, I'm not the loud one," he said, thrusting his hips into her pelvis—a move which provoked a pitch-perfect whimper that sounded like music to his ears.

"And whose fault is that?" she smirked, but her smile was quickly devoured when he lowered his lips onto hers and she surrendered to him eagerly.

An hour later, they walked into the dining room, freshly showered and ready for the day.

"I can't believe we slept in until nine-thirty," Donna said.

"Well, we were tired," Harvey replied, holding out a chair for her.

"Clearly. Lorelai texted to say she'd meet us here for coffee, but that we'd be better off at Luke's for breakfast. She seemed thrilled we decided to stay for the weekend."

"Fine by me," Harvey muttered as he looked around the space. "Man, they really love their floral wallpaper here," he exclaimed in astonishment, the daylight granting him a fresh perspective of their surroundings.

"They sure do. I think it's charming."

"It's…something. I don't think I've ever stayed at an inn before."

At that moment, a waitress came to pour them coffee they hadn't ordered. He waited for the young woman to finish the task while Donna measured him, wondering if he might be wishing they were staying somewhere else. "I know it's not the Four Seasons, but it has its—"

"I like it," he added with a smile while reaching across the table for her hand. Honestly, he didn't care where they stayed. The fact he got to be anywhere with her was more than enough. "And that was the best night's sleep I've had in awhile."

"Good, I'm glad," Donna beamed, staring into his kind eyes, and once again she felt butterflies flutter. "Me too."

A few minutes passed as they sipped their drinks when Lorelai wandered into the dining room.

"Hey guys!" she exclaimed, approaching the pair the moment she noticed them. Although she had been dealing with one emergency after another that morning, her mood hadn't dampened a bit, especially now that she'd found her rested friends. "How are you? Did you sleep well?"

"We did," Donna replied. "Here, have a seat," she gestured. "Harvey was just saying how much he loves it here."

"Was he now?"

Harvey nodded. "You have a lovely inn, Lorelai."

"Well, thank you, Harvey. Rory said she might drop by later, too, if that's okay."

"Of course it is," Donna replied. "Gosh, I can't believe you have a thirty-three-year-old daughter."

"I know. I mean, now that she has a baby of her own, it's brought back a lot of memories, because I still remember her being so small, like it was yesterday."

"So, what happened after you dropped out and left home? Did your parents help at all?"

"No, I pretty much raised her myself. You know what my relationship with them was like, and it only got worse after I had Rory. We've never been on great terms," she explained to Harvey, whom she figured had no knowledge of her past.

He looked up from his coffee, interested.

"And when I moved to Stars Hollow," she continued, "I literally had a small village helping me out. And now she's a Yale alum who writes for the New York Times."

"That's incredible. You should be so proud," Donna said.

"I am. But I got lucky with Rory. She was the easiest kid any single mom could have wished for."

"So, you and Luke never had children of your own?" Donna inquired.

"No, we didn't. He has a daughter, too, and has always been a stepfather to Rory, even long before we ever started dating. I don't know, it somehow just never happened." She lifted a shoulder in an uncaring shrug.

"Mom!" a voice thundered, and three pairs of eyes turned to face a young woman pushing a stroller into the inn's dining room.

"Hey, kid," Lorelai said, kissing her daughter on the cheek. "How's my little Lily doing today?" Peeking inside the carriage, she found brilliant blue eyes staring back at her. "Her name is actually Lorelai, Lorelai the Fourth, but everyone calls her Lily," Lorelai explained to her company. "Rory, meet Harvey and Donna. They got stranded in the Hollow last night. Donna and I used to go to school together."

"It's nice to meet you," Rory said, before turning her attention back to her mother. "And as much as I'd love to stay, I have to run. Lane had an emergency with Kwan and asked me to watch Steve, and you know he's allergic to Lily. Can you watch her for me? I'll only be an hour or so."

"Sure."

Gesturing with her hands, she explained the baby had been fed and changed and was therefore happy. "I'll see you later. Thanks, Mom. It was nice meeting you," she said to Lorelai's friends before breezing out of the inn again.

Donna observed the exchange and couldn't help but notice a hint of apprehension in the way Lorelai agreed. Unfortunately, she knew too little about the situation to form any kind of opinion about what the reason might be, so she let it go. Still, she looked to her side and found Harvey with a similar stunned look on his face.

That whirlwind had just dropped off a baby like it was nothing, and Lorelai hadn't batted an eye.

"Lily, huh? My mom's name was Lily," Harvey said, glancing into the stroller at a bundled-up heap of pink, a white hat with monogrammed initials wrapped snugly around her head as thin strands of dark hair peeked out from under the beanie.

Donna gave his knee a gentle squeeze as he reached inside for the baby to grab his hand, which she did, causing Harvey to smile broadly at the feel of those tiny, soft digits closing around his index finger.

"Harvey's mom passed away last month," Donna explained.

Feeling like the upcoming topic demanded his participation, Harvey withdrew his hand and, as if on cue, Lily started to whimper. Immediately, he regretted his action, unsure of what to do. So, when Lorelai cradled the baby in her arms, he had to hide his relief.

"I'm so sorry, Harvey. Were you close?" she said, patting the baby's back, trying to calm her.

"We were. In the end." Harvey didn't say much else. He wasn't about to divulge his personal family history with a stranger.

Lorelai looked at him and then at Lily who only grew more restless, so she rocked her, knowing there had to be more to Harvey's story or he wouldn't have clarified the timeframe. "I lost my dad three years ago. And even though there was a large period of time where I didn't speak to either of my parents, we were in a good place at the end. I still miss him every day." The mere thought Richard Gilmore would never get to meet his great-grandchild hurt more than she was willing to admit.

Harvey gave her a mournful smile. Somehow, knowing there were more people in this world who had troubled relationships with one or more parents felt weirdly reassuring—like he wasn't completely alone in the experience. As understanding as Donna was, she simply couldn't imagine such a thing.

"Lorelai, excuse me, but Pedro needs you in the kitchen. Says something is wrong with the vegetable delivery."

"I'll be right there." As she got up, she said, "Here, Harvey, you hold her."

"No, I can't. I don't—" he protested unsuccessfully, because as he struggled to formulate his defense, Lily was planted in his arms.

"Just hold her to your chest, and she'll stop crying." She looked at Donna, who wore a bemused smile, and gave her a wink.

A minute later, with the dispute settled, Lorelai returned to their table but her return went unnoticed, because both Donna and Harvey were completely enthralled by her granddaughter, and she smiled broadly. "See, I told you she'd settle. I don't know what it is, but she seems to have a thing for men. She'll be crying her lungs out and Luke'll come along to rock her, and she'll just stop fussing."

As Lily examined Harvey's day-old stubble, she added, "The beard-tickle is always a big hit."

Harvey rubbed his itchy chin on the baby's neck, eliciting a loud squeal and the most joyous smile he'd ever seen, her eyes wide in anticipation for his next attack. "It's been a while since I've been around babies," he said without looking up as tiny hands explored his face and collar and bright blue eyes stared up at him in wonder.

"Well, you're a natural," Lorelai beamed.

When she met Donna's gaze briefly, she caught a hint of unease in her look. She was about to say something to clear the palpable change in the air when Donna beat her to it.

"Everything okay in the kitchen?"

"Yeah. When Pedro gets anxious, his left eye starts twitching like he's trying to breathe out of his eyelid but can't because his chakra is jammed."

Harvey chuckled, and Donna looked at him, puzzled.

"Bull Durham," he smiled, before turning his attention back to Lily.

Watching Harvey, Donna couldn't tear her eyes away. For all the years she'd known him, she had never seen him handle a baby before and the visual stirred a notion deep within her—a faint echo of something simultaneously so familiar and wholly unknown beckoning her to listen. But before her thoughts could form into a solidly undeniable desire, they were interrupted, and she exhaled a sigh of relief.

"So, what do you guys say we head to Luke's, get some breakfast and take it from there?"

"Sounds good," Donna replied after a moment of silence, while her stomach growled for some sustenance. Harvey didn't say a word, the spirited infant in his arms holding him under her spell.

Lorelai offered to take Lily from him, but he politely refused and tucked the little girl in himself, handling her with the deepest care while Donna's heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

···

A short time later, the three of them walked into town, the town square bustling with vendors setting up their stands around a large stack of logs. Somewhere near the gazebo, a guy was yelling something into his faulty walkie-talkie as another guy across the square yelled back at him and Harvey wondered if cell phones were considered a luxury here.

The air was cool, but the sky was blue, the winter sun shining brightly above them, draping the world in a peaceful blanket of serenity—a stark contrast to last night's snowstorm, the remnants of which were still visible in the piles of shoveled, discolored ice lining the sidewalks.

"What's going on here?" Harvey asked.

"It's our annual Firelight Festival this weekend," Lorelai chirped. "If you get bored, just have some of Founder's Day punch and you will be enjoying yourself in no time. I mean, that stuff will rip rust off metal and set your liver on fire, but at least you'll have fun on the way."

Inside her pocket, her phone rang, and she answered without looking, holding the device away from her ear the minute a female voice chattered loudly on the other end. "Mom, slow down," she finally said before she turned to Donna. "Here, I have to take this." Leaving the stroller in Donna's care, she strode off to answer the call in private.

Donna naturally took over from her friend, continuing their journey to the diner when she was struck by the scene she found herself in—pushing a baby carriage while the man she had only recently started planning a future with walked alongside her, the same man who—not too long—had also declared they were going to be together _forever._

The sudden desire burning deep within her soul was so overwhelming, she was left at a loss for words.

The topic of kids hadn't come up yet; she didn't even know where he stood on the topic. Hell, until a few months ago, the thought she would someday be a parent seemed so out there, she had all but resigned to the idea parenthood just wasn't in the cards for her. And she was okay with that. However, in this moment, what she wanted—what her heart longed for and her body craved—started playing before her eyes like 3D-movie, and the off-switch was nowhere to be found. Granted, the image both exhilarated and terrified her. But this was not the time for analysis or guessing what Harvey might want—or not. So, she strode forwards in silence, glancing up at her lover every now and then to see him sport a similar uneasy look. But then he placed his hand over hers on the handlebar and the gesture was as much an answer as spoken words would be.

When their eyes met, their lips were like magnets, drawing towards each other for a brief kiss with a heartfelt promise of a conversation to be had. Soon.

"God, you guys are nauseatingly cute. Come on, I'm freezing," Lorelai said, reclaiming stroller-pushing duties.

Donna let go of the pram, enabling Harvey to tuck her into his side where she remained the rest of the way.

* * *

"You like baseball?" Luke asked, pouring some more coffee in Harvey's half-empty cup.

Harvey looked up from the Gazette he'd been reading. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"I sometimes coach this little league team in Litchfield when their own coach can't make it. I'm going over there soon. It's indoors, so you don't have to worry about the weather. You wanna join? I think Lorelai and Donna will be awhile."

Luke eyed the lawyer indifferently. Entertaining adults wasn't his favorite pastime—entertaining kids wasn't either—but he'd feel content if he could keep Harvey occupied as per Lorelai's instructions. Coaching a group of twelve-year-olds was challenging enough, and he might have some help this way.

"Alright. I'm in." Like he had something better to do now that Donna had gone for a walk with Lorelai and the baby. Before they left, she must have asked him twenty times if he was okay with being alone for a few hours. Her effort was far from mothering but rooted in the same longing he knew she also felt whenever they were apart. The notion Donna Paulsen missed him never failed to bring a smile to his face. Sure, he wasn't digging spending time apart from his girlfriend on their weekend away, but the idea she was enjoying herself made up for most of his disappointment. And if he got to spend some of today coaching ball, not all was lost.

Making the best of the situation, Harvey once again buried his nose in the local newspaper, where the most shocking news seemed to be a Mrs. Langley accusing the mailman of stealing her mail because she hadn't received birthday cards from some of her friends. Not exactly the type of situation the New York Times reported.

Never in a million years had he imagined a place like this to exist—to have people living their everyday lives without the adrenaline rush of a major city humming around them. But here he was, in the middle of nowhere, sipping on a pretty great cup of coffee and so far, he was having a good time.

The bells above the door jingled like they'd been doing for the past twenty minutes, so Harvey didn't look up when a man walked straight up to the counter.

"Luke! Can you whip me up something real quick?"

"Sure, Kirk. Just take a seat. What'll you have?"

"I don't have time to sit. As you know, this year, I am running the Firelight Office of Operations and Logistics, also known as the F-O-O-L. I came up with the name myself. I'm the head FOOL, if you will."

"You got that right," Luke mumbled, as he glanced at Harvey with a roll of his eyes.

Harvey smiled into his paper, listening to the exchange.

"So, there's a lot of responsibility riding on this position. If I don't tighten those reins and crack my whip, there might not be a festival tonight, and all the people of Stars Hollow will be forced to spend another Saturday night playing scrabble with their mothers."

"That's just you, Kirk," Luke said, impatiently tapping his pen on the pad in his hand.

"If I don't get back soon, all—"

"Kirk! Are you gonna order?"

"Cheeseburger to go," he sighed in protest, taking a seat next to Harvey.

A minute passed, and Harvey tried to ignore the stare he felt coming from his left, in no mood to engage the stranger with the weird job title sitting beside him.

"You're from out of town, aren't you?" Kirk said.

Harvey looked up, quickly measured the guy, then nodded. "I am."

"That's nice," Kirk said, a forlorn look in his eyes. "I'd like to be from out of town. But I'm from this town, so I can never be from out of town."

With a frown on his face, Harvey wondered if the man-child was joking. Something told him he was dead serious, so he said, "Well, then go visit another town and you can be from out of town there."

Kirk seemed to mull over that notion when Luke appeared from the kitchen with a brown bag in his hand. "Cheeseburger for the head FOOL," he snickered, as Kirk placed the cash on the counter.

"Thanks, Luke."

"Bye, Kirk."

Harvey looked at Luke and asked, "Friend of yours?"

"Nah. Just one of the many people in this town who should get their heads examined."

Fifteen minutes later, Harvey was once again shivering in the passenger's seat of the dark green pickup truck he would from now on call 'the icebox from hell'.

"Why don't you get that heating fixed?"

Luke grunted, unwilling to concede yet still feeling bad about it. "I actually don't drive that much."

"You know, my dad used to have a truck just like this. He taught me how to change the oil, how the engine works. Stuff like that. I could take a look, if you want."

Luke nodded warily. "Sure. Be my guest."

The men fell silent for a moment.

"You know, I've known Lorelai for a really long time, but besides her ex, I've never met anyone from her childhood."

"Yeah, same with Donna."

"How long have you known each other?"

"Fifteen years? She just walked up to me in this bar and introduced herself and said she wanted to work for me. I hired her on the spot." Okay, so maybe he hadn't, but his heart had.

Luke glanced over at Harvey and caught the tail-end of a smile on the square-jawed lawyer's face as the guy no doubt recalled the exact moment his life changed, something he recognized as he thought about the horoscope he still carried in his wallet.

"How about you guys?" Harvey asked once the memory of a breathtaking redhead working her way into his life faded enough to carry on a conversation.

"Lorelai just came into the diner one day. And I knew she was the one."

"So, you've been together since?"

"No! God, no. We were friends for about eight years first before we started dating."

"Oh, I see. Yeah, it took us a while, too."

"Yeah? How long?"

"Fourteen years… We've only gotten together recently."

"Jeez. What made you wait so long?"

"I don't know. She had a rule. And I just had some..," he trailed off, wondering how much to expose.

"That's okay. You don't have to tell me," Luke interjected. All day long, he had to listen to people's life stories, and truly, he was fine with lending an ear, because it was part of the job. But the same job had also taught him when not to pry, and this relative stranger had begun fidgeting with the end of his scarf, telling him they weren't there yet. And when Harvey gave him a grateful look, he barely nodded in understanding. "You said you were on your way to her parents. How about yours? They still alive?"

"No. Not anymore. My mom passed away last month," he choked.

"I'm sorry," Luke offered and watched the man stare out the window, consumed by a far less joyful recollection. "My dad passed away a long time ago. My sister and I had already lost our mom when we were kids. It's…hard. But Lorelai and that crazy town…they became family, too."

"Yeah. I guess I consider the people at my firm to be family. Donna has always been family. My dad was crazy about her. My brother still is. He'll still call her before he calls me whenever there's something serious going on."

"Sounds like she's the one."

"She is," he confirmed without hesitation.

"You gonna marry her?" Of all personal questions, he felt this was safe territory. If he'd known Donna for _that_ long and had finally admitted his feelings, there was no way marriage wasn't on the table. At the same time, Luke knew he was likely projecting his own regret over not marrying Lorelai sooner, but he shrugged the insight off, not wishing to go Dr. Phil on his own intentions. Besides, they were married now. How they got here no longer mattered.

"I want to," Harvey finally answered.

"But you're waiting because…"

"I don't know. I was gonna meet her parents first, this weekend."

"Something keeping you?"

"Not necessarily, but I want them to know I love their daughter and I'm not the asshole lawyer they think I am, because I do want to marry her."

"So? Ask her," Luke deadpanned.

"What if she says no?" The question that had occasionally kept him awake at night left his lips before he could catch himself, and he felt a rush of embarrassment heat up his insides for voicing his insecurities.

"You honestly think she'll say no?"

"No, I don't." He really didn't. But what if? He had no doubt she loved him, but even after all their years together and her love keeping him warm at night these days, he couldn't shake the idea she could do so much better than him. After she'd started dating Kessler, he was certain he'd lost her for good.

"Listen, Lorelai proposed to me, and I still wish I had been the one to do it."

"She did?" Harvey's eyes grew wide, shock flashing over his features. He'd never even considered the possibility of Donna proposing to him, and suddenly the unlikely scenario became his biggest fear.

"Twice. We broke up the first time, and once we got back together we just never discussed it again. Last year, we hit another rough patch, and I swear to you, I thought I was gonna lose her again when she suggested we should get married. I still feel like an idiot for not coming up with the idea myself."

Harvey contemplated that likelihood. Donna was definitely a woman who wouldn't wait around. If she set her mind to something, she would get her way, one way or the other. And she was certainly the type of woman who would propose to him if he took too long.

"I've just never considered marriage in general," Harvey confessed. "And now that my mom's gone, I don't have any family, except for my brother. It's just…I don't know."

"Don't wait too long, man. That's all I can say," Luke suggested as the memory of that autumn flashed before his eyes. Lorelai standing in their kitchen, telling him she was taking off for an indefinite amount of time to do 'Wild'. He still got shivers thinking about her insane idea. From the moment she'd left, he spent every waking hour worrying. He couldn't sleep, hardly ate. A few times, he'd even come close to booking a ticket out West to go after her. Those days had been hell, only to transform into heaven the minute she had waltzed back into the door, announcing she wasn't leaving him but wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

Absentmindedly, he fingered the wedding band on his finger, smiling softly at the weight it carried.

"I already have the ring."

Luke frowned. "You already bought a ring, but you don't know if you should propose?"

"My mom left it to me."

"Oh." _Shit._ "Sorry."

"That's okay."

"You carry it with you?"

"Yeah." Even now, he felt the shape of the diamond press into his thigh.

Luke nodded. He'd have done the same thing. "You'll find the right moment."

"I hope so."

With the air heavy in the car, Luke felt the desperate need to change the subject. "So, you played ball? In college or high school?"

"High school. I was a pitcher, but then I injured my shoulder and I knew my chances of making it in the big leagues were over."

And with the new topic, the blanket of unease lifted as the men fell into conversation about batting averages and the World Series.

* * *

"They have some great stuff there. I'll have to come back someday!" Donna exclaimed as she closed the white picket fence behind her, leaving Kim's Antiques. "Harvey and I aren't living together officially, but I'm spending all my nights at his man-cave now, and it could use a little more ambience, you know what I mean?"

"Do I ever! Luke would be happy living in a cabin with heating and plumbing and no decorations to speak of besides his Big Mouth Billy Bass and a fishing rod, and even those first two things are likely debatable as well. Once, we had remodeled my house so he could move in, and he had replaced my bedroom furniture with his grandmother's bedroom set. I swear to God, that bed was haunted. And tiny! We kept bumping into each other. It was a disaster. So, from that point on, he left the decorating to me."

"Harvey just pays people to do it for him, although I did help him pick this condo. Wow, that was over a decade ago," she said, surprised herself at the memory. "Never thought I'd be living there with him one day."

Lorelai watched the look of astonishment morph into a smile on Donna's face. "You really love him, don't you?"

"I do." She hesitated a moment, then prompted, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I thought you were a mind-reader? Why do you need to ask any questions?"

"I'm a people-reader, very different superpower," she smiled, chewing on her lip for a second. "Do you ever regret not having children with Luke?"

Lorelai didn't immediately respond, unnerving Donna. "I'm sorry, it's none of my bu—"

"No, it's not that. We both have a daughter, and having a kid of our own would have been nice, but it just never happened. And we've always been happy with the two of us. And now we have Lily, so we still get to experience the baby phase together with none of the sleepless nights, and we cherish every moment." She scanned Donna's eyes. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Well, Harvey and I took so long to get together, I'm afraid it's too late for us now," she mumbled, looking at Lily who was awake again and playing with her stuffed monkey. Seeing this tiny person had definitely ignited _something_. Worse yet, having seen Harvey with her this morning made her suppose the subject demanded some serious considering.

"Lorelai!" a male voice bellowed in greeting and they halted, both irked by the interruption.

"Oh, hey Taylor. How's the festival going?"

"Oh, you know. If I wasn't there to tell everyone what to do, the entire thing would be a disaster," he moaned dramatically. He noticed Donna and turned to her. "Hello. I'm Taylor Doose," he said, seizing up the redhead paying him no attention, her head buried in the stroller.

"Donna Paulsen," she replied, shaking the hand that was offered to her.

"Donna's an old friend."

"Well, welcome to Stars Hollow, Donna."

"Thank you," she answered, before focusing on the baby again.

"I better get going if we want to have a festival tonight. Good day, ladies."

"Bye, Taylor," Lorelai spoke to his back before saying, "Don't mind him. He's the nosiest man I know." As she glanced at Donna, she noticed a lack of joy in her friend's demeanor, even as she reached for Lily's extended hand. "Do you want to have children?"

"I don't know. You know how some people just know they want kids?" Lorelai nodded. "That wasn't me. So, I never had to think about it before, because I knew I didn't want to be a single parent, and I was never in a relationship long enough to get to that point. I guess… I figured there was still time. But maybe I do... And I'm not sure if Harvey wants children. But what if he does and I can't give him that?"

"Donna, judging by the way he looks at you, you don't have anything to worry about. He's clearly crazy about you, and I don't even know him. Trust me, he'll be happy to be with you regardless, just like Luke and I were happy to just have each other."

"I hope so," Donna murmured, briefly stopping to let some people carrying logs the size of Connecticut pass by. Without warning, her mind traveled back to earlier that morning and how perfect the sight of Harvey and Lily together had been. Maybe tonight, she would bring it up. "This morning, when Rory dropped Lily off, I thought I saw a look there. Is everything okay between you two?"

"You really can still do that," Lorelai said admiringly. "We're fine. It's just that Rory has been leaning on us a lot lately. We don't mind, but we're starting to wonder if she's relying on us too often. I mean, Rory's always had everything going for her. Whatever she wanted, she got. She wrote a book, too. And some publishers in New York and Philadelphia are interested. _Gilmore Girls_ , she called it, and she chronicled her life and mine, and how she experienced things growing up. When I read it, I realized she's actually had an easy life, especially compared to what I went through. And aside from a rough year that led to her ending up pregnant, she's never had to worry about anything other than guys or finding a job she likes. I was only a kid myself when I had her, and I had to grow up far too fast. Now she's thirty-three and she can't take care of her own baby without asking for our help every other day." Lorelai looked at a smiling Lily, looking blissfully unaware. "Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I spoiled her too much or something."

"Don't we all want our kids to have a better life than we had? You built a life from nothing because you had to. She doesn't have to, not unless you force her to, which you won't, I'm assuming. How about the baby's father? Is he in the picture?"

"Not really. He lives in London. They knew each other in college, and apparently she kept seeing him, even though he was engaged to someone else. And he chose that woman over her and the baby. I truly believe his family pressured him into the decision, because they used to date… Anyway, he pays child support, but with the distance and everything, he's seen her twice in person."

"Jesus."

"Yeah. So, Lily has her last name. So much for her having a better life than I had. It's just history repeating itself."

"Well, from what I've seen so far, you have a pretty amazing life, Lorelai."

"I do," she smiled as she waved to Ms. Patty standing in the doorway of her dance studio before they rounded the corner and headed back towards Luke's. Her life was everything she'd ever hoped for, but she wondered if Rory could say the same thing.


	3. Chapter 3

···

**Love and Suits and Snow**

_Chapter 3_

°•.•°

Strolling along silently, Donna smiled as she listened to Lorelai's story of how she and her friend Sookie had tackled a fire at their inn, completely captivated by the small town charm of Stars Hollow. The royal tour—given by Lorelai Gilmore herself—had been a welcome break from her life in New York, bringing back memories of her time in Connecticut as a young teen. But now she was looking forward to reuniting with Harvey, whom she was hoping had had a similarly enjoyable afternoon. Although he and Luke hadn't exactly hit it off, they were starting to warm up to one another, and perhaps a couple of hours alone, enjoying one of the few interests they seemed to have in common, would do the trick.

Before she and Lorelai had made their way back to Luke's, they'd dropped off a content and soundly asleep Lily with Rory. And when they had finally walked into the diner, a friendly man behind the counter, who introduced himself as Caesar, had greeted Lorelai enthusiastically.

"Bring us two cups of your hot black magic, will you?" Lorelai skillfully batted her eyelashes at her husband's employee before navigating her way through the crowded establishment and plopping down at a free table next to the window.

Donna dropped her shopping bags full of bits and bobs she had acquired that afternoon beside her before getting comfortable as well.

A happy sigh left her lips, and she basked in the comfort and warmth the cozy diner provided; her eyes scanning the people walking by the window, the streets buzzing with locals and tourists, all bundled up to protect them from the cold winter air.

"There you go, ladies." Caesar shot the pair a charming smile as he placed two steaming mugs of coffee in front of them. "Can I interest you in something to eat as well?"

"No, we're good, thanks." A grin spread across Lorelai's face as she gazed up at him. "We'll wait for Luke to get here."

The chipper man shrugged before turning around and moving on to the next table.

A soft moan left Donna's lips as the warm drink heated her insides. "That's a great cup of coffee."

"It's the best," Lorelai agreed as she took a gulp herself.

"Have you ever tried adding a splash of vanilla to it? It's my favorite. I converted Harvey years ago."

"As a matter of fact, I haven't, but who am I to refuse trying a fresh way to have my coffee? Besides, I'm sure it will rile up Luke, which is always a plus." There was a wicked spark glistening in Lorelai's eyes that made Donna chuckle just as the bell above the diner's door jingled. At the sound of rumbling male voices, the two women turned their heads towards noise.

"Oh, look, our men have returned," Lorelai said when Luke and Harvey entered the diner, both alive and well and in what seemed to be a _great_ mood.

"Hey, lovebirds. We're over here," she shouted while waving an arm at them. "Did you have a good time doing your baseball thing?" A smile spread across her lips as Luke leaned down to greet her with a soft peck.

"We did. The kids loved this guy." Luke nodded in Harvey's direction as he stayed on his feet, feeling quite certain the kitchen would need his presence in about five minutes.

Donna's eyes widened in surprise, and she reached for her boyfriend's hand as he slid into the seat next to hers, giving it a soft squeeze. "They did?"

"Apparently, I've got this teaching thing down." He smirked, causing Donna to beam at him in adoration. Of course, the kids had loved him. He was great with them. Come to think of it, Marcus had always said how crazy his children were about their uncle, and out of nowhere, a vision of a toddler with dark brown eyes, hazelnut hair and her nose, briefly flashed through her mind. Instead of pushing it away, Donna allowed the image to reside in her consciousness as she listened on.

"It was fun," he added. "The kids were great."

Their gazes met and lingered.

"I'm glad you had fun." She smiled as a result from the heat scorching her insides as she looked at her boyfriend's handsome face.

"Listen, hun," Lorelai reached for Luke's arm and gave him a look he knew all too well. "I'm about to starve to death, and we have a festival to attend tonight. So, how about you make us some burgers and give our untrained guests a solid foundation for Ms. Patty's punch?"

A scoff left Luke's lips, and he shook his head at his wife. Pointing at Lorelai, he got up and sauntered into the direction of the counter. "I'll make you your burgers, but you will _not_ drag me to that sad excuse of a festival based on some mushy made-up tale." Then he disappeared into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Luke placed three of his homemade hamburgers on the table, the only difference being the salad he used to garnish Donna's and Harvey's serving with—something he had long ago given up on trying with his wife.

"Thank you, Luke. These look amazing," Donna said gratefully. The sightseeing combined with the cold had worn her out, and she could use the warm meal to energize her for the rest of the evening.

Harvey was the first to take a big bite, and his eyes widened as his taste buds clashed with the chow. "Wow," he moaned with a full mouth. "That's one of the best burgers I've ever had."

"Luke's Diner got the best of everything. It's the main reason I married the owner." Lorelai grinned over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Is Luke really not going to join us at the festival?" Picking at the salad on her plate, Donna eyed Lorelai curiously.

"Oh, don't worry. He likes to play hard to get, but he'll come around."

"Well, I for one can't wait to see what this is all about," she mused, looking out the window at the preparations taking place. "It looks beautiful already."

...

Just over an hour later, the four of them bundled up in their winter coats, scarves and hats, ready to brave the cold evening that awaited them outside.

An annoyed expression painted Luke's face, having once again been lured into attending a town event he wasn't keen on taking part in although he knew full well that Lorelai's insistence on his participation always persuaded him.

The other couple was much the same; Donna buzzing with excitement while Harvey had tentative hesitation written all over his face. For Harvey—having lived in big cities all his life—the small-town community, the everybody-knows-everybody vibe, and the traditions they treasured were still somewhat of a foreign concept to him.

As the freezing night air hit his skin, Harvey was about to list the reasons why he would prefer to go back to the inn and spend the evening indoors when he felt Donna's arm slide around his. Giving his biceps a soft, enticing squeeze, she gazed up at him with excitement and joy dancing in her eyes. In that moment, he knew there was no place in the world he'd rather be than by her side.

Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned up to press a gentle kiss to his still warm lips in a silent 'thank you' before they followed Luke and Lorelai into the buzzing streets of Stars Hollow.

With darkness having fallen and piles of shuffled snow decorating the sidewalks, the town square looked like an enchanting winter wonderland. There were fairy lights everywhere, bathing the open space in their soft, dim light; draped over the branches of the trees that framed the area; covering the rooftops of the booths that were scattered all over; wrapped around the columns of the gazebo and hanging from its vault.

The primary focus of the event, however, lay on the gigantic bonfire that was about to be lit between the stalls and the stage that had been put up next to the gazebo.

The couples each got a serving of the infamous Founder's Day punch before mingling among the crowd that had gathered in front of the platform, awaiting the opening address.

It wasn't long until three elderly men ascended, welcoming the visitors and jumping right into the reason for the gathering as they began to recount the tale of the founding of Stars Hollow many, many years ago while Kirk had the honor of lighting the fire.

Soon, a warm glow blanketed them as the flickering light of the flames added to the magical atmosphere of the evening.

_"Separated by distance and by parents who did not approve of the union, the young couple dreamed of a day that they could be together."_

This particular part of the story hit a little close to home, and Harvey slipped an arm around Donna's waist as the memory of his first and only meeting with Jim Paulsen flashed before him. Perhaps, he figured, asking the man for his daughter's hand straight away wasn't the best approach.

_"Suddenly a band of stars appeared in the sky, these stars shone so brightly they lit up the entire countryside. The girl jumped to her feet and followed the path of the stars until finally, she found herself standing right where the town gazebo is today. And there, waiting for her, was her one true love."_

Leaning into his body, Donna smiled as her gaze traveled to the gazebo. She knew there was something special about the tiny structure, and she made a mental note to ask Lorelai for pictures of her wedding day, suddenly wondering what it looked like dressed up for such an occasion.

Standing behind the couple, Lorelai watched how Harvey kept stealing glances at Donna and shooting soft smiles her way, his lips finding her cheek and the crown of her head every chance he got.

"That guy's so very smitten," she observed with a knowing smile on her face.

"He really is," Luke agreed as he wrapped his arm around Lorelai's shoulders, pulling her tightly into his side. "He wants to propose."

"He does?" she beamed, a twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes.

"He is just waiting for the right moment. Wanted to meet her parents first, and all."

"How very old school of him. I like it." Lorelai grinned as her gaze wandered back to the couple in front of them. "Something tells me he's gonna find that moment soon."

...

A while later, Donna glanced around the town square. There were people everywhere, happy, chatting, laughing, dancing. There was an ease to this place, a warmth that wasn't just spreading from the bonfire in the middle of the crowd, and she welcomed both.

Harvey had gone to fetch them another cup of punch while Lorelai had made it her mission to find them some fresh roasted almonds to nibble on. Beside her, Luke mumbled under his breath and she focused her attention on him.

"What's going on?" She followed Luke's gaze and landed on the group of older men and the guy who'd lit the bonfire, chatting. The younger, scrawny-looking man was nervously eating a hotdog, darting his eyes away whenever he was addressed.

Luke crossed his arms. "The idiot with the matches…" He nodded to the podium. "That's Kirk. He's in charge of logistics. But he's been evading Taylor all evening, and now he's eating, so he forgot to make arrangements for the bonfire cleanup. Again. And, I'll bet, as soon as he finishes that thing, he'll be coming over here, asking me for help. Again."

"You got all that from him eating a hotdog?" Donna raised her eyebrows, her curiosity spiked as she looked around her at the fairy lights that were glistening from everywhere she looked.

"Well, he's a stress-eater. If you do what I do, you learn how to read people, and it comes in handy to anticipate which direction the tornado of crazy is coming from. I swear, I don't want to know half of the things these idiots tell me, but if you serve them coffee every damn day, they think you're Dr. Phil, or something. God knows, most of the lunatics in this town could use a good couch session."

A chuckle erupted from her lips as she listened to Luke's rant. "Is that how you and Lorelai met?"

"It is. She had just moved here and used to come in with her little girl, talking a mile a minute about anything and everything, always demanding coffee. But, I guess, she was the only one I didn't hate listening to, and we became friends."

Donna smiled as she caught his gaze drifting to the man's wife, and she watched as his eyes softened at the memories that were no doubt playing in his mind.

"It's kinda how Harvey and I met. See, I read people, too."

"You do?"

"Just something I was born with, I guess. It sure has come in handy, both in acting and working in a law firm. And definitely when I was waiting tables, as well."

"You were a waitress?"

"I did, when I was still under the impression I would have a career in theater."

"Lorelai mentioned that you had ambitions to become an actress. What happened there?"

"I got stuck working for Harvey."

"Yeah? I wanted to be a pro baseball player. But then my dad died, and I had to take care of my sister. Turned his hardware store into a diner."

"I guess we do what we have to." She let her mind wander for a moment. "You know, Harvey had dreams of going pro as well."

"His shoulder injury." Luke nodded. "He told me about it."

"Are you a Yankees fan, by any chance?"

"I don't really care for one team. I just like the game."

"Well, if you're ever in the city, I'm sure he'd love to take you to a game. We have some clients that can get us scout seats."

"Seriously?"

"Of course. It would be our pleasure. And then Lorelai and I can go see a show together."

"I know she would love that." Luke smiled at the new prospect, suddenly finding himself liking the big city couple a whole lot.

"Luke! I need your help!" Kirk bellowed, running towards them.

Luke sighed and turned to Donna. "Told you."

...

"Found what you were looking for?" Harvey looked at Lorelai as he ran into her near the cotton candy booth, a fresh cup of Founder's Day punch warming the hand carrying it.

"I did." A proud grin painted her lips as she held up two cones of freshly roasted almonds.

A honeyed voice chimed in out of nowhere, and Harvey pivoted around.

"Well, well, well!" Patty purred. "Who is this handsome specimen of a man, Lorelai?" Then, lowering her voice to whisper conspiratorially, she asked, "Does Luke know?"

"Ms. Patty, this is Harvey. He and his girlfriend Donna"—she emphasized—"are visiting from New York City. She and I used to go to school together."

"Pleased to meet you," Harvey smiled, taking off his glove and extending his palm.

"Well, look at you…" Ms. Patty breathed as she shook his hand, scrutinizing Harvey for a good while as she fanned herself with her other hand even though it was barely above freezing. "The _pleasure_ is all mine."

"Alright, Patty," Lorelai said after a few moments of watching Harvey grow increasingly uncomfortable. "You can let go now."

But Ms. Patty didn't budge, and Lorelai smiled at the older woman as she put herself between the pair, forcing their handshake to sever. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to get back to our dates."

"Oh, Babette!" Patty shouted. "Come here. I want you to meet Lorelai's friend from New York."

A blond woman who had been walking by, stopped and looked at Harvey for a second before her jaw dropped. "Oh my God! Who's the fox?!" she screeched, not taking her eyes off him.

"Babette, meet Harvey," Lorelai said. "But we really have to get going now. See you ladies later." Grabbing Harvey's arm, Lorelai forced him in the opposite direction.

"You kids have fun!" Ms. Patty yelled, throwing Harvey another suggestive wink for good measure as she dramatically tossed the end of her scarf across her shoulder, waiting for them to walk away.

Lorelai shot Harvey an apologetic smile as they strolled towards their better halves. "They mean well."

"They are _something_." Harvey could feel two pairs of eyes on his ass as he and Lorelai merged with the crowd. There used to be a time when he'd have been flattered, but now, all he could think of was getting back to Donna.

"So, Donna tells me you're into movies?" Lorelai started.

"I am, and I have a feeling you are, too?"

"Ha, you got that right."

"It's my mission to educate Donna on some classics, mainly because she never gets any of my references, which kind of defeats the point."

"Oh, tell me about it!" She heaved a theatrical sigh. "I've been trying to educate Luke for years, but I'm afraid he's a hopeless case."

"Why's that?"

"Once we watched Casablanca together, and he fast-forwarded the tape to get to the good parts. Hello! There are no bad parts of Casablanca!"

"You're kidding?" he chuckled, not at all surprised by Luke's ignorance of something other than sports.

"I wish."

"That's insane." Harvey shook his head at Luke's incapability to grab the essence of such a classic. "You know Donna still acts."

"She told me earlier, and I'm so glad to hear that. Growing up, being on Broadway was all she ever dreamed about," she replied, remembering the days they'd spent dreaming about the future together. But as she glanced at Harvey, she witnessed a haunting in his eyes. "Life sometimes has other plans," she offered. "She also mentioned multiple times how much she loves being COO." Her last remark seemed to have the desired effect of brightening Harvey's mood, and she smiled.

"She's amazing at what she does. But she would have made an excellent actress as well."

"Hey, she's still an actress, even if she doesn't do it for a living." Lorelai shrugged and reached out to give Harvey's arm a reassuring squeeze. "She seems very happy with the life she's built. The life she _is_ building with you."

Searching her eyes, Harvey found nothing but sincerity in her gaze, and he gave her a grateful smile. On some level, the comment was hardly news, but it sure as hell felt good to hear it out loud, and from a relative stranger no less.

Catching the tail-end of the conversation, Harvey joined Donna side. "Told her what?" he asked while Luke was caught in an animated discussion with the man-child Harvey recognized from that afternoon.

"Long story," Donna replied, slipping her arm around his. "Hey, I told Luke that if he's ever in town, you should go to a game together."

"Sure. You two should visit us in the city," he said, turning to Lorelai. "Make a weekend out of it."

"Oh, I am so in!" Lorelai beamed as she passed the roasted almonds around. "We haven't been to New York in a while. And it's been too long since I've heard a good 'Manhattan smells' rant Luke is famous for."

"It's a date, then." Donna grinned, the thought of spending another weekend with her friends already causing her to bubble with excitement.

...

"So, tonight was a success." Lorelai smiled as she slumped down on one of the park benches surrounding the town square, bumping her shoulder against Luke's who was yawning beside her.

"It was." Luke agreed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "I think they're _actually_ enjoying this stupid festival."

"Oh, come on, Grumpy. You know you love it, too." Turning her head and stretching her neck upwards, Lorelai placed a soft peck on Luke's lips.

Luke just huffed and rubbed her arm as they sat and watched the remaining guests wander from stall to stall, enjoying whatever the sellers had to offer.

"Donna and I talked about Rory and Lily today, and she made an interesting point that got me thinking."

"Think what?"

"That we should talk to Rory."

"Okay." Luke nodded, his eyes still trained on the ongoings in the town square.

"Donna mentioned how parents want their kids to have a better life than they did, and I always wanted Rory to have an easier upbringing than I had, and she did. She's always had it easy. But, in a way, I think she's taking motherhood too lightly now, you know? Always relying on us, like it's the most obvious thing. I do want to help her, and I love spending time with our granddaughter, but she has to take on more responsibility. She's the mother now."

"Letting her know that we feel she needs to take this more seriously doesn't mean you love her, or Lily, any less."

"It kinda feels like it does, though."

"It doesn't. I promise." Luke turned his body towards her and reached forward to put a strand of hair behind his wife's ear. Then he pulled her into his shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "Rory's a smart woman, she'll understand."

Lorelai's eyes glossed over. "I hope so."

"Would you like me to be there when you tell her?"

"You know, I think I do." Lorelai leaned back and looked up, finding her husband's gaze. "We're a family, and this affects us all."

"Then we'll do it together," he agreed, conjuring a soft smile onto Lorelai's lips. Her expression conveyed a love that bordered on pure and utter adoration, and Luke dipped down to brush her lips.

"I love being a grandma," she mumbled against his scruffy neck, her hand clenching the material of his jacket.

"I know you do. And I like us being grandparents, too. I never had that with April, or Rory, I never got to witness the baby stage… It's nice."

"It is, isn't it?" Lorelai watched him with adoration shining in her eyes. "I'm glad you get to experience it."

"It's crazy how life changes." Luke mused. "Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that you walked into the diner, demanding coffee and handing me that horoscope. And now here we are, married, talking about granddaughters."

"Thanks for sticking with me," she said as she nestled herself into his side.

"Rightbackatcha."

...

Having split up from Lorelai and Luke to wander the festival on their own, Donna and Harvey found themselves strolling around the still buzzing town square, Donna's arm linked through Harvey's, seeking each other's closeness and warmth.

"Tonight was nice." Donna gazed up at him from where her cheek was resting against his shoulder.

"It was," Harvey agreed, and he meant it. The entire weekend had come as a surprise to him. An unexpected—and remarkably—relaxing break from the busy life that awaited them back in New York.

"I really love it here." A cautious smile graced her lips as she looked up at him from underneath her lashes. "I've been thinking how lovely it would be to have a place here."

"A place, huh?" Harvey matched her smile with his own at the suggestion and was met with a nonchalant shrug before Donna leaned back into his side, clutching his arm.

"This town looks like it's straight out of a fairytale. I mean, look at the gazebo. Isn't that the most romantic thing you've ever seen?"

Donna's voice was quiet and soft, and her eyes were sparkling as she spoke, reflecting the bonfire and the fairy lights that were still illuminating the square.

Letting his gaze wander around their surroundings—the people, the decorations, the calm yet happy atmosphere Stars Hollow and its citizens radiated—Harvey could see what Donna meant. Never having been much of a romantic himself, initially, he hadn't found the snow all that enticing, but this weekend, this town, the other couple; each aspect had contributed to his thorough enjoyment. But none more so than the woman by his side.

Sliding his glove-covered hand into the pocket of his jacket, his fingers enveloped the square-shaped box that he had been carrying with him ever since he'd bought it a few weeks ago. It was a miracle, really, that Donna hasn't accidentally found the ring yet.

Something told him she'd see it soon enough, though.

Harvey's eyes travelled to the brightly lit gazebo in the middle of the square and he watched the few happy couples that had gotten comfortable up there, others swaying to the soft sounds of the music that was still echoing into the night. Almost as if on cue, his fingers tightened around the velvet fabric in his pocket and a thought crossed his mind that, suddenly, made everything click. This was it.

The moment had arrived.

Without notice, all the lights in the square died down with a sizzle, deprived of electricity as the timer activated. A lovely glow cast by the fire worked like honey for a bunch of frozen bees still milling about the square.

With the illumination gone, the temperature seemed to drop quickly. In addition, the wind picked up, emptying out the town square at a steady pace.

Donna gently nipped on the hot punch that certainly lived up to its reputation, enjoying the warmth of the bonfire and Harvey's body flush against hers.

"This has been really great. I'm glad we stayed," she said.

"Hmm, me too," he murmured, spotting Lorelai and Luke on a bench nearby. "Wait here."

"Where are you going?" she asked, stunned, but found him gone already.

...

"Luke, hey, you got a minute?" Harvey asked, motioning in the direction away from the man's wife.

Luke eyed him skeptically. "Sure. What's up?"

"I'm gonna do it."

"Do what?"

"Propose."

"Really? I think that's great. But what do you need me for?"

"I was hoping you could help me."

...

Harvey returned to an anxiously waiting Donna. "What did you have to talk to Luke about?"

"Nothing. Just something I forgot to mention earlier today." He shuffled his feet while his heart started racing. Reaching into his pocket, he felt for the box one last time.

"Hey, maybe we should get back, too," Donna said to Harvey.

Harvey looked at Luke. And nodded.

...

Luke grabbed Lorelai's hand and tugged her along. "Wait! Where are we going?"

"I have something to do."

"Luke? It's 11 pm in Stars Hollow. There is nothing _to do._ "

"I have to wake up Taylor."

"Why? You have a death wish or something? He's fast asleep. I mean, he was out here an hour ago complaining about the lights keeping him up, so Kirk had to climb all the way up to remove the bulbs from that particular strand outside his window."

"I can take him," he deadpanned. "But he has to turn on the lights of the gazebo."

"Why?"

Luke didn't answer, just strode forward until they reached Doose's.

...

"I wonder where they went off to," Donna mumbled, looking in the direction of the market and her friend's retreating frames. "I do hope she remembered that they are our ride."

"I'm sure she remembers," Harvey said, his heart in his throat and his palms clammy inside his gloves. "Come on." He took her hand and guided her towards the gazebo, still bathed in darkness. His nerves were killing him and on the off-chance Luke didn't manage to perform the task, he wanted to be certain he was already in place.

With every stride, he resisted the urge to scan for Luke and get any kind of confirmation.

By the time they made it to the steps, a loud hum sounded and the adorning lights on the gazebo came to life at once.

Donna gasped, and when she looked at Harvey—expecting him to be equally surprised—she was confused to find him unfazed and staring at her expectantly.

"Come on," he coaxed, and Donna followed him nervously until they were standing in the center of the gazebo..

"Harvey, what's going o—"

His lips crashed into hers, knocking her off her feet, but Harvey caught her in a tight embrace, keeping her upright while he kissed her deeply. With his hands on her hips, he kept her body close, making sure she was trapped by his hold.

By the time they broke apart, they craved the oxygen filling their lungs.

He'd needed to feel her lips, to anchor himself to this moment and gather his bravery. Luckily, her kiss had given him exactly what he craved: courage and conviction. "I love you, Donna. I know I don't say it often, but I do."

"I know you do. I love you, too."

A warm smile spread all over his face, and he continued. "I was hoping to have seen your parents this weekend because of what I'm about to do, but I just can't wait any longer."

"Harvey, what—" She watched him take something from his pocket and go down on one knee, and reality struck her like a bolt of lightning on a bright sunny day. "Oh, my God." Big brown eyes glanced up at her, and Donna's knees started to shake.

"You're it for me, Donna. I knew it when we first met, and these past few months have been the happiest I've ever been." He swallowed hard to contain the mix of emotions swirling in his soul and clogging up his throat. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Donna Roberta Paulsen, will you marry me?"

The sight before her brought tears to her eyes, and she nodded fiercely before answering with a convincing 'yes', causing Harvey to glow as bright as the lights they were under. His trembling hand slid the ring on her finger, and she helped him up to his feet to drown in his kiss like there was no tomorrow.

...

With Luke still not having returned, Lorelai saw Harvey get on one knee in a lit gazebo while Donna's hand covered her mouth. A rush of excitement hit her at the idea of her friend being proposed to, in her town, with her own husband's help, and she smiled proudly.

A moment later, two arms snaked around her from behind and Luke's lips found her cheek.

"Did you do this?" she asked, turning in his embrace to face him.

"I certainly helped. Taylor will never forgive me for waking him up after eleven, but I think it was worth it," he added, glancing at the couple in the gazebo.

"You're an amazing man, Luke Danes." As she reached up, he met her halfway in a tender kiss. When their lips parted and they fell into an embrace, she looked over his shoulder at Donna and Harvey in a similar entanglement.

Room 7 was definitely getting some action tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, but at least I managed to keep my promise of updating this story before the year was over. :) But almost all work was done by Nina (saci), so we have her to thank for this gem. We hope you enjoy it. For now, it's completed, but you never know... Please let us know what you think by leaving a comment. Happy New Year!

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued... Soooo, the idea for a crossover between my two all-time favorite shows is something I have been toying with for a looong time. And finally Nina shared in my idea and this is our baby! Seriously, without her this fic would never have seen the light of day. Thanks to Marie and Liz for the idea of Lorelai and Donna being friends and to Sarah and Elle for beta'ing this! Please let us know what you think!


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